Pour Me a Grog: The Funaná Revolt in 1990s Cabo Verde
Ostinato Records presents an array of revolutionary musicians on the impassioned funaná compilation, Pour Me a Grog.
africa
Pop Music and Cultural Resistance in Nigeria via Apala
A new Soul Jazz Records compilation presents Apala songs, created to reject colonialism and celebrate recent independence in late 1960s Nigeria.
Exploring Tuareg Music of the Southern Sahara
A vinyl reissue of Tuareg Music of the Southern Sahara sheds light on the folk origins of today's thriving Saharan rock scene.
Alefa Madagascar!: Salegy, Soukous and Soul from the Red Island 1974-1984
Strut Records compilation Alefa Madagascar! traces cultural flows and musical history in funk and folk, and shows a range of the nation's popular music styles from 1974 to 1984.
The Good Ones Share Love and Hope on ‘Rwanda, You Should Be Loved’
Rwandan folk trio, the Good Ones fight harsh reality with a sense of love and hope for their third album, Rwanda, You Should Be Loved.
Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba’s ‘Miri’ Is a Beautifully Unpredictable Work of Art
Bassekou Kouyate and band Ngoni Ba's unplugged new Malian folk music release Miri is anything but basic.
Michael Donkor Brings Forth the Power of Women in ‘Housegirl’
Michael Donkor's Housegirl, a PopMatters' pick, is a strong debut novel about traditional changes and personal awakenings.
Rocky Dawuni Aims to Re-energize the Forces of Love and Hope on “Beats of Zion” (premiere)
Ghanaian roots-reggae star Rocky Dawuni leads the charge against apathy on new single "Beats of Zion".
‘Listen All Around: The Golden Age of Central and East African Music’ Is a Worthy Primer for Any Adventurous Listener
During the musical explosion of the 1950s, ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey traversed Sub-Saharan Africa to record a breadth of songs across many styles. This compilation contains some of the best he came up with.
Hamad Kalkaba and the Golden Sounds: Hamad Kalkaba and the Golden Sounds 1974-1975
Soul, brass, and gandjal rhythms bring a new energy to the Analog Africa repertoire via Cameroonian funk rock band Hamad Kalkaba and the Golden Sounds.
From the Women of Dahomey to Black Panther’s Women of Wakanda
Black Panther is more than just another Marvel blockbuster; it's a revelation in Western depictions of Africa and African women.
Ethnofiction and the Films of Jean Rouch
The African “dialogues” with Western culture, as twisted here in Eight Films by Jean Rouch to suit the purposes of those exposed to it, reflects the wider idea of “dialectics” between filmmakers and subjects.